Chapter Seven
Aaron
Aaron pushed his chair back from the conference table and laid his head down on the smooth gleaming surface.
“It’s not that bad,” Bas said, walking by and patting him on the back.
“There are so many files,” Aaron whined.
“You were worried that we wouldn’t have enough to keep us busy,” Bas reminded him.
“I can help!” Aspen offered.
“You are helping,” Leo assured the young fae. “Scanning these files into the computer will make them easier to sort through. And Stryker has decided to come in and help a few days a week.”
“I like Stryker,” Aspen replied quickly.
Aaron groaned again. Wasn’t anyone listening to him?
“There are so any files! What does the council do? Just shove the complaints into a box and forget about them?” It had been his idea to reach out to an old friend that still worked for the council.
Aaron just wanted to see if anyone else had been left behind.
He’d expected a file or two. Not five fucking boxes!
“And Aspen will scan them in,” Leo said. “Then you can research where we should start.”
There went Aaron’s plans for the next century!
“It doesn’t have to all be done at once,” Leo told him.
“You can still go on your daily date,” Bas teased.
Aaron lifted his head to glare across the table to where Bas had sat. “Shut up.”
“This has to be the slowest mating dance that I’ve ever seen,” Leo added.
“I think it’s sweet,” Aspen said.
“I hate you all,” Aaron complained. He didn’t really.
It was just that while he loved that Carter insisted they have dinner, or take the puppies on a walk together, or some other ‘dating’ activity, it had been two weeks, and Aaron was fully in love with his mate.
The problem was that while he did get more kisses on each date, that was as far as they’d gone.
Aaron literally had to jack off every night before lying down to sleep.
He had even pulled Carter into a few more dreams where they strolled the forest together, holding hands and talking for hours.
Leo’s phone rang, stopping whatever he was about to say, which was probably just more teasing. “Fuck! It’s the damn mayor again.”
“He’s going to keep calling you until you agree to meet with him,” Bas said, without lifting his head from his laptop.
“I’m busy,” Leo declared as he hit the Decline button on his cell.
Bas snorted. “Easton is a good man. He’s friends with Hudson. Just meet with him.”
“He’s nosy,” Leo replied with a twist of his lips. “I don’t need a human asking questions about our business.”
“It is sort of his job,” Aaron pointed out. “Just meet with him.”
“I refuse.” Leo crossed his arms over his chest.
“He’s super nice when he stops by and you hide in your office,” Aspen tattled.
Aaron slowly turned his head toward his best friend. There was something going on that he must have missed. It might be because when Aaron wasn’t in the office, he was getting to know his mate better.
Dating had been something that Aaron had agreed to in order to spend more time with Carter.
It turned out better than Aaron had imagined, since it was obvious that Carter was really into this dating thing.
He always had something planned. Aaron had never felt so important, so seen, as he did when he was with Carter.
“Stop staring at me,” Leo growled.
“What’s going on with you?” Aaron questioned.
“Nothing.” Leo shrugged one shoulder carelessly.
“I don’t believe you,” Aaron replied as he narrowed his eyes.
Aspen giggled.
“He’s hiding something for sure.” Bas at least seemed to be on Aaron’s side.
“I’m not hiding anything,” Leo argued. “I’m busy. Someone has to fill out all the paperwork that the damn mayor requires for opening a business in town.”
“Give the guy a break,” Bas said. “He took over from a mayor that upped and left without telling anyone. There was a series of fires that just mysteriously stopped. Easton is trying to make sure the town is safe. That’s what we want.”
Leo blew out a long breath. “Fine. Aspen, please return the mayor’s call and set up a meeting for next Friday.”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “You’re going to make him wait a week?”
“As long as something important doesn’t come up and I have to reschedule,” Leo returned.
Aspen’s mouth dropped open. “Would I have to make that call too?”
“Sure would, kiddo,” Leo said with a smile.
“Maybe nothing will come up?” Aspen asked hopefully.
Leo turned. “Please let something come up,” he muttered as he exited the room.
Aspen started to wring his hands together.
“It’ll be fine,” Bas told him. “I’ll make sure that Leo keeps the meeting.”
“Thanks, Bas.” Aspen was back to smiling.
Bas looked over at him. “Aren’t you going to be late for your date?”
Aaron checked the time on his phone. “Shit!” He jumped up. He’d been so busy whining about all the work he was going to have to do and forgot that he was supposed to be meeting Carter at the park. “I’ve got to go.”
“Have fun. Remember that Hudson and I are staying at the cabin for the weekend. You would have the whole house to yourself,” Bas called as Aaron rushed out of the room to head to his office.
Aaron ignored the reminder. Excitement rushed through him at the thought of having the house all to themselves for the first time since Carter had declared that they were now dating.
The kisses were wonderful, hot, and sexy but they were just kisses. Aaron was dying to get his hands on his mate.
Grabbing his backpack and hoodie, Aaron didn’t stop to do anything else in his office.
Aspen was adamant that it was his job to clean up at the end of the day.
At this point, they were all just going along with anything that Aspen wanted.
The young fae wanted to be helpful and without a case to work, there wasn’t much to task him with.
Aaron hurried back down the hall to the front door and was through it in just a matter of minutes. He was meeting Carter just down the street so he wouldn’t be more than five minutes late.
It had rained earlier, leaving the air with a hint of moisture and a freshness that only came after a good brush with Mother Nature. Aaron was a fan of the scent since it also reminded him of Leo when he was in his thunderbird form.
Aaron might not have the same senses as the shifters and other paranormal creatures, but the scent of rain would always remind Aaron of those nights in the council compound when he’d climbed into his best friend’s bed when he’d been terrified.
Nothing had been going on between them at the time other than friendship. They’d been too young, too traumatized, during those early years in the compound. Still, the scent of rain was comforting.
“Hey, Aaron!”
Aaron looked over to where the mayor was waving at him from the entrance of the office next door. Like really the mayor’s office was directly beside theirs. How was Leo still avoiding him?
“Hey, Easton.” Aaron wasn’t exactly friends with the mayor but they’d run into each other around town, especially when Aaron was with Carter, since Easton and Hudson were close. “Done for the week?”
“I am.” Easton swung his messenger bag over his shoulder and joined him. “Headed for your date?”
Aaron sighed. Did everyone know that he agreed to a date every single night?
Easton laughed. “I thought Hudson was exaggerating but maybe not?” He lifted one eyebrow in question.
“Probably not,” Aaron agreed. “So, what’s up?”
“Is Leo already gone? I tried calling earlier but he didn’t answer.”
“Oh!” Aaron didn’t want to lie. “I’m not actually sure. I kind of ran out when I realized that I was late.” There. That was not a lie at all.
“That’s fine. I’ll call him on Monday morning. He submitted some paperwork that I have a question on,” Easton said.
“Sounds good.” Aaron pointed toward the center of town. “I do need to go.”
Easton smiled and waved him off. “Go. You don’t want to keep your man waiting.”
“Thanks! Talk to you later.” Aaron jogged off.
His man. His boyfriend, someone else had called them when Carter had taken Aaron to lunch at the diner a few days before.
Eventually Aaron wondered if Carter would be called his mate.
The word didn’t fill Aaron with dread and regret any longer.
Two weeks and Carter had already trained Aaron to respond to that word with a smile. Mate.
There was something else that Aaron wondered about.
The more time that Aaron spent with Carter, the more of Carter’s natural dominance came through. It was sexy as hell and made Aaron need.
Up ahead, he spotted Carter in front of the park entrance with three leashes wrapped around his wrist. He was talking with another man in front of a truck. From the back of the other man, Aaron knew who it was. Hard to miss the gorgeous head of blond hair that flowed in the cool breeze.
“Hey, Carter. Hi, Logan,” Aaron said, reaching them.
Carter turned and gave Aaron a big smile. “There you are!”
“Yeah. Sorry I’m late. I got caught up at work,” Aaron explained.
“It’s fine.” Carter waved his hand. “I was just catching up with Logan. He has a new flower that he’s adding to the park landscape.”
“Oh?” Aaron turned to Logan.
Logan smiled back at him. “I can’t take the credit. These beauties were Carter’s suggestion.”
Aaron didn’t understand until he peered into the back of Logan’s truck to see bushes of the purple flower with dark centers from his dreams. He gasped before looking back at Carter.
Carter pulled Aaron close as the pups yipped and jumped at his ankles. “It’s a pity that no one else gets to enjoy our flowers.”
Their flowers. Like Carter had claimed them for the two of them and was doing something nice by sharing the flowers with the rest of the world. Lifting his head, Aaron smiled. “I love it.”
“Now when we take the pups for their walk, we can remember the very first time that you pulled me into one of your dreams,” Carter said.